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Can Ant+Dec do nothing wrong?

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Imo it takes a special talent to transform what are in some respects below average ideas for shows to be must watch shows only due to the presence of the presenters. Even though they are not really in the same genre, I do actually rate them as their Morecambe and Wise of their era (in fact, a few of their 'sketches' in this current series of SNT have shamelessly aped some of M&Ws best ever sketches). They are, quite simply, absolutely brilliant at what they do. The fact that they also seem so 'real' and so not 'up themselves' is merely an added bonus.

I'd agree with that.

Must follow the lead of an earlier poster too...off to YouTube to look at Wonkey Donkey clips!!

So i like them, and they do have a natural chemistry, and they are nice guys.

As far as what's "real" though, they are scripted and rehearsed down to the tiniest detail - and they don't write their own lines. All the "natural banter" you see is for the most part given to them (originally actually at times by David Walliams and a few others). This goes right the way across all their shows.

They HATE their past. So much so, they bought up the rights to their music and old shows (especially Byker Grove) so they could control when it was shown. What is happening with LGRTR is interesting because they deliberately tried to take their songs out of the public domain. Very occasionally they have gone along with doing one-off's a few times - like this - so either they are mellowing or they went along with it because they knew it would be turned into a viral thing and promote the show which is obviously suddenly getting a massive ratings boost they want to keep up.

The public do love them, and they are put across well on TV. I think videos going "viral" are just as much about the marketing of it to the public - if theres loads of things in the press saying "get them to number one, its amazing - the best thing ever" - to a degree, when its a name like Ant and Dec they will go and have a look.

So i like them, and they do have a natural chemistry, and they are nice guys.

As far as what's "real" though, they are scripted and rehearsed down to the tiniest detail - and they don't write their own lines. All the "natural banter" you see is for the most part given to them (originally actually at times by David Walliams and a few others). This goes right the way across all their shows.

They HATE their past. So much so, they bought up the rights to their music and old shows (especially Byker Grove) so they could control when it was shown. What is happening with LGRTR is interesting because they deliberately tried to take their songs out of the public domain. Very occasionally they have gone along with doing one-off's a few times - like this - so either they are mellowing or they went along with it because they knew it would be turned into a viral thing and promote the show which is obviously suddenly getting a massive ratings boost they want to keep up.

The public do love them, and they are put across well on TV. I think videos going "viral" are just as much about the marketing of it to the public - if theres loads of things in the press saying "get them to number one, its amazing - the best thing ever" - to a degree, when its a name like Ant and Dec they will go and have a look.

I think if they were ashamed of their past then they wouldn't have performed Lets Get Ready to Rhumble on Saturday night. I also remember them peforming it on CD:UK one time. When they did Jonathon Ross the other week he also showed one of their other videos and took the piss out of it.

Buying up the rights to their old shows so they can control when they are shown isn't unique to them as I know of at least one other celebrity who has done the same, though I'd question whether or not its true in A&D's case because I've seen clips of Byker Grove and the Ant and Dec show ( where they shaved that girls hair off) on various nostalgia shows over the years.

And after watching their 'Let's Get Ready To Rumble' performance on You Tube - strange to see how everyone has gone mad over it - I've seen them do it before on SMTV Live - but I then spent a very happy hour on Saturday night watching old clips of Wonkey Donkey from SMTV Live and I laughed a lot at Dec losing his temper with the kids ringing in

Dec losing his temper at the kids ringing in to Wonkey Donkey was always my favourite bit: "IT'S GOTTA RHYME!!"

I'm 3 years younger than them so I have grown up with them since the early Byker Grove days nearly 25 years ago. It's lovely to see how successful they have become over the years. Young kids to OAP's seem to love them.

Dec losing his temper at the kids ringing in to Wonkey Donkey was always my favourite bit: "IT'S GOTTA RHYME!!"

He was so funny, but unfortunately he'd never get away with it now. Laughing at and shouting things like 'stupid little idiot!', 'stupid fool!', 'why did you bother ringing in?!' and 'I know where you live!' (can you tell that I watched a 'wonkey donkey 14 episode playlist yesterday?!) at dozey kids these days would not go down well with OFCOM.

I think if they were ashamed of their past then they wouldn't have performed Lets Get Ready to Rhumble on Saturday night. I also remember them peforming it on CD:UK one time. When they did Jonathon Ross the other week he also showed one of their other videos and took the piss out of it.

Buying up the rights to their old shows so they can control when they are shown isn't unique to them as I know of at least one other celebrity who has done the same, though I'd question whether or not its true in A&D's case because I've seen clips of Byker Grove and the Ant and Dec show ( where they shaved that girls hair off) on various nostalgia shows over the years.

What happened was they went through phases - and it may well have had something to do with who was influencing them. There was a long period where they wouldnt let anything out - maybe they felt some of it was poor or it was just getting boring people pulling the footage out every time they got interviewed on a talk show, but other than the Byker paintball clip, and certainly not the music - very little was shown. They seemed to open up a bit with the clips a couple of years ago, and since Gallowgate was aquired by James Grant and they now have less to do with the actual release of stuff it seems that anything goes. Maybe they have matured a bit and gotten over it but there was definitely a phase where they were very serious over the control aspect, but as you say, there are others that do the same thing.

They are great guys, but the idea its all natural is wrong - they are compared to Morcambe and Wise a lot but M&W were naturally funny. Ant and Dec are given all their jokes and told what to say, they arent funny without the script or at least being told how to act. But then again, i could name a lot of other presenters the same.

They are great guys, but the idea its all natural is wrong - they are compared to Morcambe and Wise a lot but M&W were naturally funny. Ant and Dec are given all their jokes and told what to say, they arent funny without the script or at least being told how to act. But then again, i could name a lot of other presenters the same.

Frankly, I think that's rubbish. I've seen them in loads of contexts and they both have a natural wit. Of course a lot of what they do will be scripted but they're the ones who have to deliver it. And they do, in spades, and that takes skill and an inate understanding of what does and doesn't work. As for natural, nothing on tv is natural.

I don't watch them on any regular basis as the format for a lot of what they do is just not my thing, but I always catch IAC and to try and reduce them to just a pair of puppets spouting other people's lines on that is ridiculous.

As for the M&W comparison? Why?? They were comedians, comedy was their business. Ant and Dec are tv presenters. That they're very entertaining is a bonus. The only comparison between the two is that they're double acts.

Frankly, I think that's rubbish. I've seen them in loads of contexts and they both have a natural wit. Of course a lot of what they do will be scripted but they're the ones who have to deliver it. And they do, in spades, and that takes skill and an inate understanding of what does and doesn't work. As for natural, nothing on tv is natural.

I agree a lot of it is in the delivery, and it does take skill to do that and not taking anything away from them - thats their talent. But what i'm saying is they aren't that funny without the script. Have you actually seen them off air? The interaction is there between them but not the clever lines - though a lot of the looks to each other are rehearsed to get the timing right. But the public (and i guess this is to their credit) mostly get the impression they are just naturally talking to each other on TV but i've rarely ever seen them do anything off-script. I guess thats where the M&W stuff comes in, a lot of people think they are presenting in a comedy style like the M&W show was.

I don't watch them on any regular basis as the format for a lot of what they do is just not my thing, but I always catch IAC and to try and reduce them to just a pair of puppets spouting other people's lines on that is ridiculous..

IAC is the most scripted one out of the lot of them. Show has more writers than any of their others. They ARE just spouting other peoples lines, there is an element of them naturally bouncing off each other, yes. As above - they should be applauded for the delivery if anything.

But the public (and i guess this is to their credit) mostly get the impression they are just naturally talking to each other on TV but i've rarely ever seen them do anything off-script. I guess thats where the M&W stuff comes in, a lot of people think they are presenting in a comedy style like the M&W show was.

Do they? Or is that just your perception of what you think accounts for their popularity? I've never thought that for a minute since successful and enduring presenting takes an awful lot of skill and hard work. Engaging an audience is the only real remit of a presenter. A brilliant script is only as good as those delivering it. A&D deliver.

Why so reluctant to credit them with a skill they've very successfully honed? It seems like you almost resent them being seen as funny?

Do they? Or is that just your perception of what you think accounts for their popularity? I've never thought that for a minute since successful and enduring presenting takes an awful lot of skill and hard work. Engaging an audience is the only real remit of a presenter. A brilliant script is only as good as those delivering it. A&D deliver.

There has been a lot of TV where they have been compared to M&W as a great double act. They ARE a great double act - i get the feeling a lot of what they do has had some M&W influence, but they aren't comedians. A lot of the writing (especially IAC) is treading on line of them being a comedy double act.

Why so reluctant to credit them with a skill they've very successfully honed? It seems like you almost resent them being seen as funny?

I certainly don't resent them, i like their act very much. I'm just making the distinction they are presenters with, as you say, funny delivery. Totally credit their skill and talent there. But if you take away that most of the lines are given to them i'm just not so sure they would have had the same level of success. Lets see i acknowledge some very talented people behind the scenes who have helped make them what they are too.

Dec losing his temper at the kids ringing in to Wonkey Donkey was always my favourite bit: "IT'S GOTTA RHYME!!"

One I saw on Saturday involved him screaming "DON'T ANSWER ME BACK!!" and pretending to slap the camera. That made me proper LOL!

I really liked the game show they did for BBC called Friends Like These. I think it was one of the first things they did after Byker Grove. But then ITV poached them and slapped those golden handcuffs on 'em. BBC must be gutted.

There has been a lot of TV where they have been compared to M&W as a great double act. They ARE a great double act - i get the feeling a lot of what they do has had some M&W influence, but they aren't comedians. A lot of the writing (especially IAC) is treading on line of them being a comedy double act.

Absolutely agree. But I don't and have never thought of them as comedians and am genuinely surprised that other people see them as that. They are presenters, very engaging ones, but comedians? Never. But when have they ever claimed to be comedians? It seems to me maybe your beef is to do with how some people perceive them, which has nothing whatsoever to do with them. Why blame them for how some people perceive them? If they were going around saying we're a comedy double act, then fair enough, but they're not.

And you're still avoiding the fact that it's A&D that bring the laughs and the warmth. Not the scriptwriters who, of course, deserve credit, but can't take credit for what A&D bring to their scripts.

Are you one of the scriptwriters per chance? Cos you sound like you have a personal investment here...

Absolutely agree. But I don't and have never thought of them as comedians and am genuinely surprised that other people see them as that. They are presenters, very engaging ones, but comedians? Never. But when have they ever claimed to be comedians? It seems to me maybe your beef is to do with how some people perceive them, which has nothing whatsoever to do with them. Why blame them for how some people perceive them? If they were going around saying we're a comedy double act, then fair enough, but they're not.

I dont blame them. I think if you look at what they are doing now (its kind of the one says a line, the other does the comedy payoff, usually dec) there are comedy undertones, but no they don't claim to be comedians. I dont have a beef with them, i was just telling it as it is. They aren't straight presenting, thats obvious, especially on IAC. But its great what they do, it comes across well, all credit. In fact thats part of what makes them what they are - they arent just doing what Dermot or Ferne does.

I think they're great. I'll watch any show that they're involved in as I find them really entertaining. One of the few good things going on going today and tv is rather dull for me during the periods that they're not on tv. It's a shame that there are only a few episodes of SNT left, hopefully they're bring it back again before I'm A Celeb starts. I find their little skits on I'm A Celeb soooo funny, the best thing about the show for me.

I agree a lot of it is in the delivery, and it does take skill to do that and not taking anything away from them - thats their talent. But what i'm saying is they aren't that funny without the script. Have you actually seen them off air? The interaction is there between them but not the clever lines - though a lot of the looks to each other are rehearsed to get the timing right. But the public (and i guess this is to their credit) mostly get the impression they are just naturally talking to each other on TV but i've rarely ever seen them do anything off-script. I guess thats where the M&W stuff comes in, a lot of people think they are presenting in a comedy style like the M&W show was.

IAC is the most scripted one out of the lot of them. Show has more writers than any of their others. They ARE just spouting other peoples lines, there is an element of them naturally bouncing off each other, yes. As above - they should be applauded for the delivery if anything.

it's almost like you are claiming M&W weren't scripted to the nth degree. Google them, please. They were fantastic but please don't run away with the idea that almost all of their funny interraction wasn't scripted to within an inch of its life.

it's almost like you are claiming M&W weren't scripted to the nth degree. Google them, please. They were fantastic but please don't run away with the idea that almost all of their funny interraction wasn't scripted to within an inch of its life.

People like Braben and Cryer? Yes, but they were collaborating with M&W. Ant & Dec don't collaborate on that side, although they may have done in the early days.

It's not about slagging them off - they are talented and there is more to it than autocue. Whoever has been writing for them over the last few years has definitely studied the great double acts though and they may well have done some of that themselves too. It's a carefully crafted act and they carry it off brilliantly. Someone was obviously working with them around the time of Pop Idol or possibly a bit after teaching them comedy timing and expressions because they didn't seem to have it down as well before.

I have loved Ant & Dec since I was a kid watching them on SMTV Live, I used to absolutely love that programme!

They always make me smile, even if the jokes are scripted, it's the delivery that makes it funny, and the fact that they are enjoying themselves makes me enjoy myself.

I love their genuine friendship, it seems that most celebs nowadays are feuding with someone and making catty comments on Twitter - these two are just genuine best mates.
I'd love to go for a drink with them, they seem like a laugh